Physical Activity Guidelines for People With Spinal Cord Injury (SCI)

Implementation and Evaluation of the New Physical Activity Guidelines for People With Spinal Cord Injury.

The first evidence-based physical activity guidelines for people with spinal cord injury were released in March, 2011. This project will evaluate the implementation of the new physical activity guidelines in a community exercise setting in Hamilton, Ontario. The investigators hypothesize that persons who follow the guidelines will experience increased aerobic fitness and muscle strength. The investigators also hypothesize that participants will find the guidelines easy to follow and that their self-efficacy for participating in physical activity will be improved following the study period.

Inclusion Criteria:

• adults with spinal cord injury who have been given clearance to exercise by their primary care physician (or healthcare team)

Exclusion Criteria:

• ventilatory support
• inability to voluntarily participate in upper body exercises
• inability to communicate in English
• ongoing infection
• unstable autonomic dysreflexia